Patient monitoring device with multi-antenna receiver

Abstract

A patient monitoring device incorporates a receiver capable of single-antenna or multi-antenna operation. Multi-antenna operation permits the monitoring device to take advantage of spatial diversity for improved communication with an implantable medical device in the presence of fading. However, the small size of many patient monitoring devices can make the incorporation of multiple antennas difficult. To permit spatial diversity operation, a base station includes at least a second antenna that can be coupled to the patient monitoring device. Alternatively, the base station may have one or more high quality antennas that are used by patient monitoring device instead of the antenna in the patient monitoring device when the patient monitoring device is coupled to the base station.

1. A system comprising:
 an implantable medical device; 
 a base station having a first antenna; and 
 a monitoring device having a second antenna; and 
 means for selectively coupling the base station to the monitoring device; 
 
     wherein the monitoring device uses spatial diversity to communicate with the implantable medical device when the monitoring device is coupled to the base station and receives wireless signals from the implantable medical device via both a communication link to the first antenna and a communication link to the second antenna. 
   
   
     2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device receives the wireless signals from the implantable medical device via only the second antenna when the monitoring device is not coupled to the base station. 
   
   
     3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station includes a cradle to receive the monitoring device. 
   
   
     4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device includes a spatial diversity receiver to process the signals received via the first antenna and the second antenna. 
   
   
     5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the monitoring device includes a first terminal, and the base station includes a cradle to receive the monitoring device and a second terminal to mate with the first terminal and thereby connect the first antenna to the receiver. 
   
   
     6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station includes a communication link to a network. 
   
   
     7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable medical device includes one of a cardiac stimulator, a neuro stimulator, a drug delivery device, and a physiological sensor device. 
   
   
     8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station includes radio circuitry to process wireless signals received via the first antenna. 
   
   
     9. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a network access point to connect the monitoring device to a network. 
   
   
     10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device further includes a transmitter to transmit wireless signals to program the implantable medical device. 
   
   
     11. A monitoring device for monitoring an implanted medical device, the monitoring device comprising:
 a first antenna; 
 a wireless receiver coupled to the first antenna to process signals received from the implanted medical device via the first antenna; and 
 a terminal to couple the receiver to a second antenna associated with a base station to process signals received from the implanted medical device via the second antenna, wherein the terminal is configured to mate with a second terminal in a cradle associated with the base station and thereby connect the receiver to the second antenna. 
 
   
   
     12. The monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the receiver includes a spatial diversity receiver to process the signals received via only the first antenna and the second antenna. 
   
   
     13. The monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the implantable medical device includes one of a cardiac stimulator, a neuro stimulator, a drug delivery device, and a physiological sensor device. 
   
   
     14. The monitoring device of  claim 11 , wherein the monitoring device further includes a transmitter to transmit wireless signals to program the implantable medical device. 
   
   
     15. A method comprising:
 receiving wireless signals from an implantable medical device via both a first antenna associated with a monitoring device and a second antenna associated with a base station when the monitoring device is coupled to the base station; and 
 receiving the wireless signals via only the first antenna when the monitoring device is not coupled to the base and 
 coupling the monitoring device to the second antenna by placing the monitoring device in a cradle defined by the base station. 
 
   
   
     16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the monitoring device includes a spatial diversity receiver, the method further comprising processing the wireless signals received via the first antenna and the second antenna using the spatial diversity receiver. 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the implantable medical device includes one of a cardiac stimulator, a neuro stimulator, a drug delivery device, and a physiological sensor device. 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising transmitting wireless signals from the monitoring device to program the implantable medical device. 
   
   
     19. A system comprising:
 an implantable medical device; 
 a base station having a first antenna; and 
 a monitoring device having a second antenna, wherein the monitoring device receives wireless signals from the implantable medical device via the first antenna when the monitoring device is coupled to the base station, wherein the monitoring device includes a first terminal, and the base station includes a cradle to receive the monitoring device and a second terminal to mate with the first terminal and thereby connect the first antenna to the receiver. 
 
   
   
     20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the monitoring device receives the wireless signals from the implantable medical device via only the second antenna when the monitoring device is not coupled to the base station. 
   
   
     21. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the implantable medical device includes one of a cardiac stimulator, a neuro stimulator, a drug delivery device, and a physiological sensor device. 
   
   
     22. A monitoring device for monitoring an implanted medical device, the device comprising:
 a first antenna; 
 a wireless receiver that processes signals received from the implanted medical device via the first antenna wherein the monitoring device is not coupled to a base station; and 
 a terminal that couples the wireless receiver to a second antenna associated with the base station to enable the wireless receiver to process signals received from the implanted medical device via the second antenna when the monitoring device is coupled to the base station, wherein the terminal is configured to mate with a second terminal in a cradle associated with the base station and thereby connect the receiver to the second antenna. 
 
   
   
     23. The monitoring device of  claim 22 , wherein the implantable medical device includes one of a cardiac stimulator, a neuro stimulator, a drug delivery device, and a physiological sensor device. 
   
   
     24. A method comprising:
 receiving wireless signals from an implantable medical device via a first antenna associated with a monitoring device when the monitoring device is not coupled to a base station; 
 receiving wireless signals from the implantable medical device via a second antenna associated with the base station when the monitoring device is coupled to the base station; and 
 coupling the monitoring device to the second antenna by placing the monitoring device in a cradle defined by the base station. 
 
   
   
     25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the implantable medical device includes one of a cardiac stimulator, a neuro stimulator, a drug delivery device, and a physiological sensor device.